


Not so straight A's

by eli_nora



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, M/M, Sexuality Crisis, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 02:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12496572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eli_nora/pseuds/eli_nora
Summary: Based on this Article: https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/straight-guy-worries-hes-homophobic-gay-roommate-ends-falling-love/ (because every fandom should have a version of this story)“I don’t have a problem with you liking guys. As long as I’m the guy you like.”[Or Straight guy worries he's being homophobic to gay roommate, realises he's fallen in love with him.]





	Not so straight A's

**Author's Note:**

> This hasn't been checked by anyone, so sorry in advance for any mistakes. (If you notice any feel free to tell me and I'll edit them).

Eddie was desperate to move out when he started University but there was absolutely no way he could afford to do that on his own, so he knew he was going to need to get a roommate. He’d asked one of the guys he worked with, Bill, if he knew of anyone looking for a roommate- thankfully he did and suggested his friend Richie. 

The first time he met Richie, Eddie was very apprehensive about living with the guy- he didn’t seem particularly responsible, can he be trusted to pay rent on time? Plus he kept making crude jokes about having sex with Eddie’s Mom. Regardless, Eddie had no other options and needed to get out of his house as soon as possible. 

When they first moved in together, Richie had told Eddie about him being gay almost immediately to avoid making things awkward later down the line and Eddie hadn’t had a problem with it. 

Over the course of them living together, almost a year, Eddie had grown to really like Richie- sure he could be intense and never knew when to shut his mouth but he was funny and made Eddie feel comfortable- even if he did have an unhealthy obsession with jokes about screwing Eddie’s mom, although recently there was a shift in their dynamic. 

Eddie wasn’t homophobic, or at least he didn’t think he was, it’s super cliched but most of his friends are queer and he never had any issue with them, however whenever he walked in on his roommate making out with some dude on the couch or escorting a guy out the flat the morning after Eddie experienced a feeling of disgust in the pit of his stomach.

He had absolutely no reason to feel like this, god knows he’d accidentally witnessed his friends doing much worse (seeing Stan straddling Mike was an image he desperately wished he could erase from his memory) but he’d never experienced this kind of reaction towards anyone else. 

Eddie wasn’t too sure when he first started to feel this way but it was apparent that Richie was starting to notice. About a week ago he had come home early from a lecture to see some guy sitting on the couch, sipping at a can of coke, the guy nodded when he noticed Eddie come in and got up to greet him. “Hey, I’m Kyle.” He said with a smile, holding out his hand. 

“Eddie.” He said bluntly, with no intention of taking the man’s hand- merely looking at it before placing his keys on the table beside him. When ‘Kyle’ realised that Eddie wasn’t going to shake him hand he awkwardly pulled his arm back, and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He coughed before speaking again “Um, Richie’s just stepped out to pick up some pizza and snack for the movie, he should be back soon.” 

Eddie just looked at him for a moment. He wasn’t sure why but he felt an overwhelming sense of hatred for this guy, it’s not like he did anything to deserve this reaction but Eddie couldn’t help it- he utterly despised the guy. “Cool.” His voice oozed with condescension. He picked up his charger and a book from the coffee table before walking into his room, shutting the door behind him, leaving Kyle to wonder what he’d done wrong.  
…  
Later than night, Eddie left his room to make himself something to eat. When he saw Richie standing with the flat door open with Kyle on the other side of it he breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much about Kyle being here, he’s just glad that he’s leaving. 

He heard the front door close and he turned to Richie with a grin, although his smile was only met with furrowed brows and downturned lips. “Why were you a dick to Kyle?” 

Eddie thought for a moment, unsure “I, um… I really don’t know, I guess I was just in a bad mood or something.” He suddenly felt awful for how he’s treated Kyle, he hadn’t meant to upset Richie, so he moved to open the fridge to avoid his gaze, not really aware of what he was looking for.

Richie, clearly unhappy with that answer, shifted his weight and let out a heavy breath. Eddie could feel Richie’s gaze on him but made no effort to turn around and meet it, there’s an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Richie speaks up again. “Do you have a problem with me fucking guys or something?”

Eddie whipped round to face the other boy. “N-no, not at all! It’s not like that, I-”

“Then what’s your fucking problem then?” Richie was visibly upset but trying to hide it behind anger. 

Eddie didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t tell Richie that he had just hated Kyle- and every other guy he brought home for that matter- with a burning passion without sounding just a little bit homophobic and a big bit ridiculous. “I don't have a problem. Whoever you choose to sleep with is private, it's none of my business.” Eddie watched his converse covered toes as he replied. 

Richie scoffed. “What-fucking-ever.” He roughly rubs his face before storming towards his room. He came out a second later, shoving on a hoodie and pulling his satchel over his head. “I’m staying with Bill tonight.”

“Richie-”

“Don’t.” Richie cut him off, stopping at the front door gripping the handle. “So, you’ll be okay if fuck Bill, as long as I don’t do it here, right?” his voice dripped with venom but his eyes showed clear hurt. Eddie doesn’t get a chance to reply before Richie storms out, slamming the door behind him.  
…  
A week later and he’d barely spoken to or even seen Richie. He had come home the next night, not saying a word to Eddie and only really coming out of his room to eat before leaving again.

Eddie had tried to apologise once, only to have Richie slam his bedroom door in Eddie’s face- so he thought it best to just leave him alone for a while. But that was a week ago, and he was getting anxious. What if Richie never speaks to him again? He’s really lost for what to do so decides to ask for some advice. 

Stan and Mike, two of his closest friends, now sat in front of him in his and Richie’s shared living room, he was filling them in on the situation. At first, he was apprehensive about telling them considering they’re both queer and dating each other- he didn’t want them to think he was homophobic- but he knows that they would never judge him (or at least Mike wouldn’t). 

“... and then he left. He came back the next night but he hasn’t spoken to me since.” Eddie pauses for a second. “So, how do I deal with this? I never thought I was homophobic, but just the thought of Richie’s sex life makes me uncomfortable.” Grimace twists onto his face as he says it. 

Stan and Mike share a knowing look but neither speak up.

Eddie notices “What?” Mike opens his mouth to speak but changes his mind. “What is it?” Eddie’s clearly agitated now. 

Stan speaks up. “Are you… Are you sure that what you’re feeling isn’t jealousy? I mean, it only seems to bother you about Richie specifically.” 

“What am I supposed to be jealous of?” Eddie thinks. “He definitely has a more active sex life than I do, but it seems kind of irrational for me to react like this over that.” 

“Yeah,” Mike says, “but maybe… you don’t like seeing Richie with other people, not because you don’t like him being with guys but because you want to be the guy he’s with?” 

Oh.

“So you think… I want to… date Richie…?” 

The pair nod cautiously. 

oh…  
oh  
Oh…

It sort of makes sense, he’s never really had a crush on anyone before so he kind of just presumed that he was straight (which was really dumb of him, come to think of it). 

“Oh my god!” Eddie’s words were muffled by his hands covering his face. “What do I do? Do I tell him? But what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I’ll have to move out, get a new apartment. It’d be too awkward to stay. What if-”

“Eddie! Calm down!” Stan says, putting a hand on his shoulder. The other boy looks up at him with glassy eyes. “As uncomfortable as it might be, you should probably speak to him. Give him an explanation for your weird behaviour.” 

“You’re right.” He groaned, stuffing his face into a couch pillow. “Why’re you always right?”

Their attention is drawn to the door as it opens. Of course, Richie chooses now to come home.

There’s a noticeable awkward tension in the flat as Richie closes the door behind him and walks over to the fridge. The three boys in the living room watch as Richie riffles for something to eat. 

“Um… we’re gonna go…” Stan announces as he stands, grabbing hold of Mike’s hand and dragging him towards the front door. “Bye.” 

Mike mouths ‘Good luck’ and gives Eddie a thumbs up before being hauled outside by Stan. 

The door slams behind them, the thud echoes before letting a deafening silence descend over the flat. The quiet seems to drag forever before Richie speaks up.

“Your friends left pretty quickly.” he says casually, pulling a cheese string out from the fridge and opening it “They hate me for liking dick too?” 

“What? No!” He jumps up off the couch. “I don't! They- they’re together, they’re both queer too.”

Richie steps closer to Eddie, pulling off a strip from his cheese string and tossing it in to his mouth. He chuckles lightly. “So it’s just me liking dick you have a problem with?” 

“No! Y-yes, sort of.” Eddie is clearly flustered, not sure how to word how he’s feeling. He wished he could have spent some time thinking about what he was going to say before doing this. 

Richie tosses his snack onto the coffee table as he moves closer to Eddie again, closing the gap between them. “What do you mean, Eds?”

Without really thinking, Eddie roughly grabs Richie’s cheeks to pull him forwards and smashes their lips together. The kiss is brief and a little awkward but it gets his point across. There’s a pause for a second, Eddie watches as Richie gently touches his lips before looking up at the other boy. 

“I don’t have a problem with you liking guys. As long as I’m the guy you like.” 

Richie breaths out a small laugh. “I can live with that.” He smiles, bringing his hand up to the back of Eddie’s neck, carefully running his thumb over his skins. 

They’re still for a moment, taking each other in, before Richie moves down to connect their lips for a much gentler kiss.

Hopefully, the first of many.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: https://notsostraightstanley.tumblr.com/
> 
> (Feel free to send me a prompt!)


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